The details should be worked out with lab, airlines, university before sampling. If already sampled, discuss with airline security before arriving with them. Probably keeping them refrigerated at 4 degrees C should limit biological change. If you have a staff soil scientist or anaytical chemist, consult with them. If hazardous materials are involved, make sure properly labeled. An official letter describing what the samples are, where taken, chain of command, persons involved including yourself, where they are to be analyzed and by whom, suitable telephone numbers, etc. would not hurt your chances. Without proper checking on protocol, they may be confiscated and destroyed by security, or you and samples denied airline access. Shipping directly may be another option to avoid the airline passenger security issues, but then some potential issues with chain of command or mishandling.

Hi

I totally agree with William.

I can only suggest that each sample be divided into two or three and that these duplicates or triplets be kept safe (in India) until the end of the analysis process and even until the final publication. If a problem occurred during or after the transfer, it would still be possible to recover these duplicates, without having to repeat the sampling campaign.

I had all kinds of problems when I tried to check my gear and sediments as luggage. To avoid that problem again, I overnight shipped my sediments on ice in a large cooler using the 8:00 am delivery time. It was expensive ($1000 US, but it was a big and heavy cooler containing about 8 sediment cores), but totally worth it.

Some pretty strict rules apply for bringing in soil samples from outside Europe as they are categorized as potential biohazard. If you like to carry your samples with you they will have to be sterilised, and you will need the paperwork to demonstrate this. This will have to include a detailed description of the samples, how they were treated and where, and this will have to be confirmed by your Indian institution (i.e. you need stamps and signatures).

When it comes to handling soils, regulations differ from country to country, but they are usually taken pretty seriously. In the UK, for example, the institution receiving untreated/unsterilised soil samples (through courier, only) needs a "soil license". Ask your Polish collaborators to check the Polish regulations on importing soils. It might actually be better to ship the samples rather than carrying them with you. You will still need the paperwork with the customs declaration, though.

You can air-dry or oven dry the samples to minimise or stop microbial activity then obtain a phytosanitary certificate from the appropriate authority in India. This certificate should accompany the samples. You may be asked to have the samples sterilize before the certificate is issued,

I totally agree with William.

Thanks a lot for inputs on the matter.I had the samples oven dried and carefully sealed in individual bags.Attached a letter from my home university and packed them in my check in luggage.

Had no hassle either from security or customs officers.

Valuable information

Luckily, it worked out for you, Yugandhar. Many of us have done it like this at some point - and got away with it. However, one has to emphasize that carrying sensitive materials in your hand luggage can go wrong if you don't fully align to official regulations, and I know of cases where it did. So, whether or not you take a gamble probably depends on how valuable your samples are.

Also, there's good reasons as to why certain materials are classified as potential "biological hazard". Therefore, we should all act responsibly and not carry anything from A to B where there's even a slim chance of something being alive in there. Anyway, happy researching everyone!

Jens

I understand your concern Dr.Holtvoeth. However, I had a talk with the airline and the airport security at Amsterdam prior to carrying these sediments. The gave me a few recommendations and I acted accordingly. Moreover made sure that any biological matter like bacteria was not present.

Thanks for your tips, would be more cautious the next time I need to travel with such material.

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